As widely expected the R & A has ditched BBC TV in favour of SKY sports covering golf’s oldest Major.
Sky will broadcast the Open Championship from 2017 after winning exclusive live rights.
This is despite calls from some of Britain’s best golfers including reigning Open Champion Rory McIlroy along with his Ryder Cup team-mates the The Open be allowed to be watched on free-to-air TV.
The broadcaster has signed a five-year deal to show the oldest of golf’s major championships, the R&A announced.
The R & A hands TV rights to coverage of golf’s oldest Major to SKY Sports. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
The BBC, which has previously broadcast the tournament live, will now show a two-hour daily highlights package between 20:00 and 22:00.
The BBC will show this year’s Open at St Andrews and the 2016 tournament at Royal Troon live on television.
From 2017, the BBC will continue to provide live radio coverage of the tournament on BBC Radio 5 live, and to cover the tournament online.
Director of BBC Sport Barbara Slater said: “We’re obviously disappointed that we were unable to retain live TV coverage of The Open Championship.
“However, we’re pleased to be continuing our 60-year partnership with the R&A and feel that a comprehensive two-hour highlights programme – a format which has already proven successful – in a prime-time slot over four days will allow us to continue to bring all the best action and key moments from The Open to a large free-to-air audience on TV, radio and online.”
Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A said: “We have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with the BBC and, although the nature of that relationship is changing from 2017, we are delighted that the BBC will broadcast prime-time highlights and that the Championship will continue to benefit from extensive live coverage on Radio 5 Live and online.
“Importantly, the new agreement will enable us to increase substantially our support for golf in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
“That our increased commitment to golf in both countries is to be supported by both Sky Sports and the BBC is a hugely positive step for our sport.”
